Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 157 The Tragic Little Ai

The next morning, as the first rays of the rising sun fell on the sea, the light penetrated the mist and shone on the group of people sitting on the huge reef, outlining their outlines in a shining manner, as if coated with a layer of warm gold.

Chen Shuo, holding Haibara Ai, Sonoko, and Mao Li Ran, the four of them were sitting on the reef in high spirits, watching the rising sun above the sea with great interest.

Sonoko smiled brightly, pointing her finger at the changing colors in the sky, her eyes full of wonder and excitement; Maori Ran was also attracted by the beautiful scenery, smiling and looking into the distance, with a relaxed and happy look; Chen Shuo sat quietly aside, his eyes soft and deep, enjoying the tranquility and beauty of the early morning; Huibara Ai squinted her eyes like a cat, feeling the warmth of the morning sun.

In stark contrast to the energetic appearance of Chen Shuo and his group, Dr. Agasa, the Junior Detective Team, and Conan all looked extremely tired. Their faces still wore a deep sense of weariness, their eyes filled with sleepiness and fatigue.

Last night, after a tremendous amount of effort, the group finally identified the murderer, and the case's threads began to unravel. While Conan was naturally the one who truly pulled off the deductions, the other members of the Junior Detective League and Professor Agasa also participated in the case, accompanying and assisting them intensely, leaving them no time for rest or relaxation. The intense deductions throughout the night had left them exhausted, their physical and mental strength drained.

However, it wasn't over yet. At daybreak, the Detective Boys insisted that a beach trip to see the sunrise was a must, a "must-do" for any vacation. So, despite being exhausted, especially Conan and Professor Agasa, they were forced to get up and greet the morning sun at the children's insistence.

Ayumi yawned, her eyes slightly narrowed, and her whole body leaned on Dr. Agasa, looking extremely sleepy: "Doctor, I'm really sleepy..." she murmured, with a hint of coquettishness and helplessness in her voice.

Genta and Mitsuhiko also leaned against each other, looking very tired, but still tried to open their eyes wide and watch the rising sun. Genta rubbed his eyes with his hands, and his tone showed the spirit of perseverance: "But, we agreed to watch the sunrise..."

Dr. Agasa looked at the children trying hard to hold on and couldn't help but smile bitterly. He rubbed his waist and said, "Oh, my old bones are really falling apart. But young people... watching the sunrise is indeed meaningful."

Conan, standing by, didn't say anything, but the expression on his face said it all. His eyes were filled with helplessness and fatigue. He had been working hard to deduce the truth for everyone last night. He thought he could have a good night's sleep, but he didn't expect to be dragged out by these kids to watch the sunrise early in the morning.

"Oh, really... why do you have to fight so hard?" Conan sighed helplessly in his heart, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything in the end.

As the sun gradually rose, the sky became brighter and brighter, and the golden light shone on everyone. Although some were full of energy and some were exhausted, everyone was surrounded by the natural beauty of this beautiful seaside. Although the Junior Detective Team was sleepy, they felt a little comforted by the beautiful scenery. Conan also forced a smile, feeling that it was worth the price of admission.

---

Inside the East Wind Building of the Queen Hotel, sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting the entire restaurant in a warm golden glow. Chen Shuo and his companions sat at a table by the window, leisurely enjoying breakfast. The table was laden with delicious breakfast items like steamed dumplings, porridge, fried eggs, and steamed dumplings, filling the air with their fragrant aroma.

Mao Lilan picked up her chopsticks and carefully placed a steamed dumpling in her bowl, but a hint of worry was in her eyes. She glanced at the empty seat next to her, raised her head and said to Sonoko, "Is it really okay for Professor Agasa and the others to skip breakfast? They were so tired last night, and they got up early to watch the sunrise today. I'm afraid they can't do without food."

Yuanzi drank the porridge with gusto and waved his hands, a relaxed smile on his face: "Forget it, you saw how they looked, they were so tired that they were about to fall apart. If I force them to come down for breakfast, I'm afraid they will fall asleep on the table."

After she finished speaking, she couldn't help but laugh, obviously finding the tired looks of the Junior Detective Team and Professor Agasa a little funny. She took another sip of the hot porridge, appearing to enjoy it immensely.

Chen Shuo put down the teacup in his hand, smiled faintly, and took over the conversation: "Yes, Yuanzi is right. Letting them have a good rest is the right thing to do. It's not too late to eat after they have had enough sleep."

Mao Lilan nodded. Although she was still a little worried, she felt relieved when she saw Chen Shuo and Yuanzi's words. She smiled and took a bite of the steamed bun that had just been placed in the bowl. The hot steam emanated from the thin dough, and the aroma filled her nostrils. She finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, let them have a good rest."

---

After returning home, everyone was quite satisfied with their vacation. Although there were some minor incidents along the way, overall, the trip was still pleasant. Except...

"I... I'm almost dying..." Huiyuan gasped, her face covered in sweat and tears in the corners of her eyes. She struggled to run on the treadmill, looking back pitifully at Chen Shuo, trying to evoke his pity. Her voice was weak and pleading, trying to seek a glimmer of mercy.

However, Chen Shuo, who usually indulged Haibara Ai, now seemed cold and ruthless, showing no sign of compromise. He stood beside the treadmill, his arms folded across his chest, his expression calm and resolute. "Don't worry, I've fully understood your physical data. You're far from being completely incapable. Keep running, don't slack off."

Chen Shuo's tone held no room for slackness, even a hint of severity, completely shattering the last bit of hope in Huiyuan Ai's heart. She gritted her teeth and could only continue running, sweat dripping down her forehead, and the fatigue in her legs made it almost impossible for her to take another step.

At this moment, in Chen Shuo's home gym, Huiyuan Ai was sweating profusely on the treadmill. With every step, she felt her physical strength being drained away bit by bit, but Chen Shuo refused to relax for a moment.

This trip made Chen Shuo deeply aware of Haibara Ai's frailty and how detrimental her lab-bound lifestyle was to her health. So, upon returning, he resolved to make Haibara Ai exercise more and never allow her to escape so easily again.

In order to prevent Haibara Ai from finding an excuse to escape, Chen Shuo even contacted Cheng Shi and instructed him to refuse her entry into the laboratory until she passed the training standards.

"Just give up, Ai. You have no choice now. You can only train hard."

"How can we repair..."

---

In the evening, in the Jingxin Coffee Shop, the faint sunset light shines through the curtains and shines on a table in the corner, making it look warm and peaceful.

Ai Huihara sat on Huihara Megumi's lap with a look of despair on her face. She seemed to have lost all her strength, her eyes were empty, and she didn't even bother to change her expression. Huihara Megumi, on the other hand, held the bowl in one hand and the spoon in the other, feeding her sister mouthful by mouthful, her face full of tenderness and heartache.

"Be good and have another bite." Huihara Emi spoke to her sister softly and patiently, and gently handed the spoon to Huihara Ai's mouth.

Haibara Ai frowned slightly, clearly feeling extremely uncomfortable and ashamed at the situation. She turned around and glanced around, realizing that everyone at the table was looking at them with strange eyes. Conan, in particular, had a look of disbelief on his face, his mouth twitching as if he was trying hard to suppress his laughter.

While Huiyuan Ai forced herself to open her mouth and eat the food her sister fed her, she couldn't help but glare at Chen Shuo, who was sitting across from her, her eyes filled with resentment. She muttered, her voice so low that only they could hear, "Sister... can you also say something about this perverted uncle... he's really going too far!"

Her tone was filled with dissatisfaction and grievance, and she obviously wanted her sister to stand on her side and help her get rid of Chen Shuo's "inhuman" training arrangement.

However, Huihara Huimei did not do as she wished. She just looked at Chen Shuo with a smile, then shook her head helplessly at her sister and said with a smile: "Xiao Ai, this won't do. Besides, I think what Mr. Chen Shuo said makes sense. You really need to exercise. How old are you? You are still such a homebody. Are you planning to become a NEET in the future?"

When Huiyuan Ai heard her sister say this, her heart sank and she felt a little desperate. She looked at Huiyuan Huimei with wide eyes, her face full of disbelief: "Even you said that... How hateful..."

She lowered her head, her gaze dim, feeling completely hopeless. The bowl of rice before her seemed to symbolize her fate. Though her sister was gentle, she was always very strict with her at crucial moments. She felt that even eight oxen could not pull her back from doing good things for her.

Huibara Ai bit her lip, looking extremely depressed. She felt helpless about her sister's "betrayal" and at the same time, she was filled with despair about her future. She seemed to have seen her future life of being exploited and trained day after day, and she couldn't help but groan inwardly.

"Damn it..." She muttered softly again, chewing the food in her mouth hard, as if venting her dissatisfaction. However, this cute look did not make people feel her anger at all, but rather a little cute.

---

After dinner, the atmosphere in the cafe remained warm and lively. Chen Shuo and Maori Kogoro sat at the bar. Maori Kogoro was smoking a cigarette, looking lazy and uninterested. Conan sat off to the side, holding a glass of orange juice, staring with dead eyes and biting his straw, looking a little bored.

There was no way. Several girls were gathered together to share photos taken during the trip. They were laughing and discussing heatedly. Conan couldn't get a word in at all and could only sit at the bar silently.

Chen Shuo glanced at the girls over there, a faint smile on his face. He spoke softly, breaking the silence at the bar: "Kogoro, are you really not going to the event in a few days?"

Maori Kogoro, cigarette in hand, didn't even lift his eyelids, and waved his hand lazily, his tone full of rejection: "Forget it, I'm just an ordinary detective. That kind of grand scene is not suitable for me. I'd better not go."

Hearing this, Conan couldn't help but look up, his brows furrowed slightly, his heart filled with curiosity. He put down the orange juice cup in his hand and looked at Chen Shuo: "Is there something wrong?"

Chen Shuo smiled slightly when he heard this, a hint of mystery flashed in his eyes. He moved closer and said with a hint of amusement in his tone: "Don't ask, you can't stand that kind of scene."

Conan curled his lips, obviously dissatisfied with Chen Shuo's answer. He snorted and said with some dissatisfaction: "So mysterious...what's there that I can't stand?" Although there was a complaint in his words, his eyes revealed a hint of strong curiosity that was aroused, and he was obviously very interested in that "thing".

When Chen Shuo saw Conan's expression, his smile deepened a little, but he did not continue to explain. He just shook his head, looking particularly mysterious.

As the sky darkened, the atmosphere in the cafe gradually became soft and quiet. The girls agreed to go home together. Huihara Emi, worried about her younger sister, decided to go with them, temporarily returning to Chen Shuo's home to take care of Huihara Ai. Huihara Ai still looked a little tired, and although she had recovered a little after a meal, her mental state was still not very good.

Chen Shuo stood at the door, watching them leave, and said with a smile: "You guys go back first, I still have some things to discuss with Kogoro, I will go back later."

Ran Mouri nodded, and Sonoko waved. No one said much, and they left chatting and laughing.

Conan, standing by, heard Chen Shuo mention "discussing something" with Maori Kogoro, and his eyes suddenly lit up. Curious, he clearly didn't want to miss out on any important information he might have. He raised his orange juice and drank the rest in one gulp. Then, pretending to be nonchalant, he said to Maori Kogoro, "I'm going to go wash up first, you two can chat slowly."

After saying that, he quickly walked out of the cafe with his short legs, his movements a little flustered.

Watching Conan's poor acting, Maori Kogoro chuckled lazily, cigarette in hand, and shook his head. He clearly saw it all, but didn't expose it. Chen Shuo sat back at the bar, a smile flashing in his eyes.